Electric railway.



Nb. 702,427. Patented lune I7, |902. J. c. HENRY, new.

S A HENRY Executnx ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

(Application led Apr. 1, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE..

JOHN C. HENRY, OF DENVER, COLORADO; SUSIE A. HENRY, EXECUTRIX OE SAIDJOHN C. HENRY, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR TO STANLEY ELECTRIC MANUFACTURINGCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEY JERSEY.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters 'Patent No. 702,427, dated J une1'7,l 1902.

Application filed April l, 1901.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN C. HENRY, acitizen of the United States,residing in the city of Denver, county of Arapahoe, and State ofColorado, have invented new and useful Improvements in ElectricRailways, of which the following is a speciiication.

The improvement relates to electric railways, and more particularly tothat class employing what is known as the multiple-unit system ofcontrol, the general plan being to have a plurality of motors and carsof a train operative from either end of the cars.

In the present invention the motor-cars are equipped with individualcontrollers of any well-known variety. They are all worked in unison astep at a time, performing the different combinations, so as to regulatethe speed of the train. They are actuated by a pair of solenoids, one ofwhich is used to compel rotation of the controller in a forwarddirection, while the other solenoid is used to turn the controllerbackward. The train is supplied with two local circuits, one of whichconnects the forward moving solenoids all together in series, the otherof which connects the opposite solenoids also in series. These circuitsextend through the train, and they are connected together between oarsby spring-jacks at the end of each car, these spring-jacks beingarranged so as to open the circuit on the insertion ofa portable switch,which is carried around from place to place by the motorman. Said switchhas a key or manually-operated circuit-breaker for each of the localcircuits. It also has a resistance which regulates the strength of thelocal circuit to agree with the number of cars to be operated. Saidlocal circuit is supplied kwith current from the main trolley-circuit,which is controllable loy a trolley-switch on each car. Reversing isaccomplished by the same circuits which operate the controller in a manner hereinafter to be described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of severalunits of a multiple-unit system. Fig. 2 is a plan View of anoperating-arm for the reversing-switch.

1 represents a working conductor of an 5o electric railway.

Serial No. 511.002. (No model.)

A, B, and C represent the wirings and equipments on the separate cars.

T, T, and Tl represent the trolleys on the respective cars. Forclearness in the illustration the regular trolley-switch is omitted.

Yires 2, 2', and 2f represent the main trainwire, which is connectedwith the working conductorby the trolley T' of car equipment B.

YVires 7, 7, and 7 are connected to the track-rails forming thereturn-circuit to the dynamo.

M and M2 represent the lnotors on a car or cars.

N represents a controller, and R the reversin g-switch, belonging to thecentral car equipment B.

S'B and SSB represent the solenoids, which by step-by-step devices, suchas ratchets P and P2, actuate the controller N and reversing-switch R.

L represents a portable switch or springjack having circuit-closing keysand circuitopening plugs, said switch being carried around by themotorman and inserted in any of the cars, suitable arrangements beingmade to accommodate this switch at either end of the car. In thedrawings I have shown for clearness and illustration but one of suchspring-jacks. This spring-jack comprises a pair of keys, switches, orcircuit-controllers K and K2, a pair of rheostats or resistanceswitchesR R2, connected to keys K K2, contact-plugs 1 1,connected to theserheostats and adapted to engage spring-contacts 13 19 on the lcar,contact-plugs 12 13, connected to the other sides or contacts ofswitches K' K2 and adapted to engage spring-contacts 1/-1 2O on the car,and insulating plugs 1"L 15, adapted to engage between spring-contacts 911 and between contacts 16 17 on the car. Vhen the spring-j ack isremoved, the springs named come together in pairs, as follows: 9 and 11,18 and 14,16 and 17, 19 and 20; butwhen the spring-jack is insertedthese contacts are opened, springs 11 and 13 then contacting 95 with ablock 12 and springs 17 19 with the block 1S, while springs 9 and 16 aremoved over into contact with blocks 10 and 1G, connected to train-wire.

The object of the rheostats R R2 is to ad- IOO just the resistance ofthe local circuits according to the number of cars to be operated, so asto maintain a constant-current value.

II represents a handle whereby the springjack L may be manipulated.

Spring circuit-closers a; are also provided at the ends of the train forcross-connecting the several train-wires, as shown, and spring jacks orcouplers y are provided between the several cars for connecting thetrain-circuits from car to car.

Reversing-switch R is arranged so that when the controller is in an offposition an additional step backward makes the arm n on thecontroller-shaft engage with one of a plurality of pins or projections oon the gear O, and thus moves reversing-cylinder onehalf of arevolution, thereby reversing the motor armature or armatures, thisengagement only taking place when the controller is in off position. Thereversing-switch will stand in this position until it gets anotherimpulse with the main circuit opened, thus changing it back to itsoriginal position. Fig. 2 shows the construction of the arm n, which isprovided with a latch, so that it will be operative in but onedirection. The shaft n of controller N carries two ratchet-wheels P andP2, having oppositely-pointing teeth and engaged, respectively, byratchet devices attached to or operated by the cores of solenoids SBS213, respectively, so that on each closure of a circuit bycircuit-closers K/ or K2 the energization of the corresponding solenoidwill move the controller through the corresponding ratchet-wheel a stepin one or the other direction. In connection with the solenoid S213, Ihave shown a dashpot V, having an opening or passage-way around itspiston end and an adjustable valve U in said passageway, the object ofthis attachment being to cushion or soften the action of theinstantly-acting magnet to avoid mechanical shocks.

In tracing the current of this apparatus current is taken from the mainworking conductor by trolley T' to car equipment B and wires 2, 2, and2". Thence it passes by the metal spring 14 to key Kvl through theresistance R out of the switch to spring 13, spring 11, thence by wireto the solenoid SB, thence by wire 5 to the spring-jack on car equipmentA, springs 9 and 11, thence through the solenoid SA to the spring-jack@c at the lefthand terminal of car equipment A, through car equipments Band C, by wires G and 6 to the spring-jacks 0c at the other end of thetrain, thence by Wire 5 through spring-jacks 9 and 11 on car equipmentC, through solenoid S'C, back by wire 5' to the spring-jack 9 on carequipment B, and to the return-conductor 7. It will be observed that onclosing the key K' on the switch device L circuit is completed, whichactuates all of the solenoids and controllers one step in, say, aforward direction. The controller positions are spaced regularly toagree with the ratchots P and P2, so that on each closure of the key Kthe car is speeded up one step. When it is desired to stop the car orcars, the controller is moved back to the off position a step at a timein substantially the same manner. On

'closing the key K2 the local circuit, which controls the reverseoperation, closes the circuit in all the right-hand solenoids. Currentcomes from the main train .-,wire 2 to the springi ack 20, to the keyK2, through resistance R2, springs 19 and 17, solenoid S2B, by wire 3through solenoid S20, spring 15 and 17 to the spring-jacks o; atright-hand end of car equipment C, thence by wires it and 4 to thespring at the left end of the train, thence by wire 3 through solenoidSQA, springs 17 and 16, wire 3Q and then by spring 16 on car equipment Bback to return wire 7, so that each closure of the key K2 moves thecontroller one step backward until the off position is reached.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an electric-railway system where a plurality of cars arecontrolled simultaneously, controller-magnets on the separate cars,controllers and step-by-step devices whereby said controllers are moveda step at a time by said magnets, the said magnets being arranged inseries and a m annually-operated switch located on one of the carscontrolling the circuit of said magnets.

2. In a multiple-unit traincontrol system, in combination with the maincircuit, a traincircnit connected therewith, controllers connected tosaid train-circuit, local circuits and electromagnetic devices thereinarranged to move all of said controllers in unison in either direction,and a switch located in any part of the train arranged to operate saidcontrollers.

3. In a multiple-unit train-control system, in combination with the maincircuit, a traincircuit connected therewith, controllers connected tosaid train-circuit, a local circuit and electromagnetic devices thereinarranged to move all of said controllers in unison, the magnets in saidlocal circuit being arranged in series, and a switch located in any partof the train arranged to operate said controllers.

4. In a multiple-unit trainecontrol system, the combination of aplurality of controllermagnets, local circuits connecting thecontroller-magnets together, spring circuitclosers at the terminals ofthe cars, and a portable switch adapted to cooperate with said springcircuitclosers for the purpose set forth.

5. In a multiple-nnit train-control system, the combination of aplurality of controllermagnets, a local circuit connecting thecontroller-magnets together in series, having circuit-closing springs atthe terminals of the car, in combination with a portable switch, adaptedto engage said springs.

6. In a multiple-unit train system having local circuits in which areincluded control ler-operating magnets, and solf-closing cir- IOOcuit-breaking switches at the ends of the cars, a portable key or switchto open said circuit and control it.

7. In a multiple-unit train-system, having local circuits in which areincluded the controller-operating magnets, a switch arranged to controlsaid circuits having an adjustable resistance, arranged to maintain thecurrent practically constant, irrespective of the nurnber of magnets inthe circuits, said switch being removable and adapted to connect withcontacts in the several local circuits.

8. In a multiple-unit train system, having a plurality ofelectromagnetically-operated controllers and local circuits independentof the motorcircuits and including the controller-operating magnets, aswitch arranged to control said circuits having an adjustableresistance, arranged to maintain the current practically constant,irrespective of the number of magnets in the circuit.

9. In combination with a controlleradapted to vary the speed of motorsand comprising.

two electromagnets and step-by-step devices operated thereby to move thecontroller in opposite directions, a reversing-switch connecting saidcontroller and arranged to be automatically operated by said controllerWhen the latter is in off position, substantially as set forth.

l0. In combination witha rotarycontroller, a rotary switch adapted toreverse the direc tion of the motor, controlled thereby, suchreversing-switch being connected to the controller only When the latteris in 0H position, and being arranged to move only by the backwardmovement of said controller, substan-l tially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 6th dayof March, A. D. 1901, in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN C. HENRY. [L St] Witnesses:

CABLE WHrrEHEAD, D. CARL HENRY.

